Renu vs The City.
A nine-year-old cancer patient, Renu Kadam, presents a vlog-style 'survival guide' to living on a Mumbai footpath during treatment, to raise money for St. Jude's free family accommodation.
- Brand
- St. Jude India ChildCare Centres
- Agency
- Ogilvy Mumbai
- Market
- India
- Region
- Global
- Year
- 2025
The challenge
People skip charity appeals that feel distressing, and the housing problem behind cancer treatment gets far less attention than the disease itself. St. Jude needed donors to trust it enough to fund more beds.
The idea
Ogilvy built the film as a single take in which Renu gives practical tips for street life, such as staying away from traffic signals and wearing socks at night against rats. The tips came from real conversations with families who had lived on the street during treatment, and the brief ruled out graphic images. The film ran on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, played in cinemas before features, and pointed viewers to St. Jude's donation platform. Hungry Films produced it.
Results
- According to the case study, St. Jude raised INR 220 million in donations in 2025 against a campaign budget of INR 2 million.
- The case study reports 6,146 children sheltered in 2025, up from 2,617 in 2024.
- By the case study's figures, the film drew 4.1 million Instagram views and 2.1 million reach on launch day.
Case study source: Social Samosa Source ↗
Awards
- Cannes Lions 2026 Bronze (Health & Wellness: Non-Profit Health Education, Advocacy and Fundraising)
Credits
- Creative agency
- Ogilvy Mumbai
- Production
- Hungry Films
